Investments In Advanced Technologies Research Articles

A FRAMEWORK FOR LEAN MANUFACTURING IMPLEMENTATION IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY: A RESEARCH STUDY

This study investigates the implementation of lean manufacturing in the textile industry, focusing on its potential to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve product quality. Lean manufacturing principles, including Just-In-Time (JIT) production, Kanban systems, value stream mapping, 5S workplace organization, and continuous improvement (Kaizen), have been widely recognized for their effectiveness in various manufacturing sectors. However, their application in the textile industry remains underexplored. Through a systematic literature review of 60 review papers and empirical analysis involving case studies, interviews, and surveys with industry experts, managers, and workers, this research identifies the significant benefits of lean practices in textile manufacturing. The findings reveal substantial efficiency gains, waste reduction, and quality improvements among companies adopting lean principles. Nevertheless, the study also highlights several industry-specific challenges, such as high variability in raw materials, complex production processes, and market pressures from fast fashion. These challenges necessitate tailored approaches and effective change management strategies for successful lean integration. Additionally, the research emphasizes the need for investment in advanced technologies and flexible manufacturing systems to enhance responsiveness to market changes. The study concludes that despite the challenges, lean manufacturing offers valuable strategies for textile companies aiming to improve their competitiveness and sustainability in the global market. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on lean manufacturing and provides practical insights for textile manufacturers seeking to adopt and optimize lean practices.

Assessing carbon budgets and reduction pathways in different income levels with neural network forecasting

Understanding carbon emissions across income levels is vital to limiting global warming to below 1.5 °C and 2 °C, as the Paris Agreement outlines. Unequal emission patterns can affect global remaining carbon budgets, necessitating differentiated strategies. This paper introduces a unique perspective to forecasting carbon emissions and determining the remaining carbon budget relative to income levels and associated socioeconomic factors. Leveraging Pearson correlation analysis and Bayesian-optimised Artificial Neural Network methods, the study examines emissions and carbon budgets of thirty countries, representing 82 % of global carbon emissions in 2022, under a business-as-usual scenario across various income levels. Findings reveal distinct patterns, with high-income countries experiencing declining emissions while middle- and low-income countries anticipate increases. High-income countries are projected to deplete their 2.0 °C budgets later than middle- and low-income countries, with an estimated depletion around 2052 and 2046–2048, respectively. Proposed mitigation and adaptation strategies tailored to income levels include investment in advanced technologies for high-income countries, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy transition for middle-income countries, and expanding clean energy access for low-income countries. This study advocates the importance of integrating income levels and socioeconomic factors into climate policymaking, offering insights for policymakers, environmentalists, and businesses to tailor interventions and promote equitable climate action.

Analyzing defense strategies against cyber risks in the energy sector: Enhancing the security of renewable energy sources

This study investigates the cybersecurity challenges and strategies within the renewable energy sector, emphasizing the need for robust defense mechanisms against escalating cyber risks. Employing a systematic literature review and content analysis, the research scrutinizes peer-reviewed articles, industry reports, and international standards documents published between 2014 and 2024. The methodology focuses on identifying effective cybersecurity measures, innovative approaches, and the role of international cooperation in enhancing the security of renewable energy sources. Key findings reveal that the integration of renewable energy into the power grid introduces unique cybersecurity vulnerabilities, necessitating tailored defense strategies. Technological solutions, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), emerge as promising tools for bridging existing security gaps. Moreover, international cooperation and adherence to global standards are identified as pivotal in bolstering cybersecurity resilience across the sector. The study proposes strategic recommendations for industry stakeholders, including the prioritization of comprehensive cybersecurity strategies, investment in advanced technologies, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness. It also highlights the importance of developing robust cybersecurity frameworks through policy interventions and public-private partnerships. Finally, enhancing the cybersecurity of renewable energy sources requires a multifaceted approach that integrates innovative technologies, human factors, policy interventions, and international cooperation. Future research should explore the potential of emerging technologies and investigate the human and policy dimensions influencing cybersecurity in the renewable energy sector.

El Rol de la Auditoría Forense en la Detección de Fraudes Corporativos

This article reviews the role of forensic auditing in the detection of corporate fraud through a qualitative literature review. Forensic auditing is essential to identify and prevent fraudulent activities, promoting ethics and transparency within organizations. Advanced methods such as data analysis, interviews and interrogations, and documentary reviews, which have proven to be effective, are discussed. Technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, have significantly enhanced these capabilities, although organizational obstacles such as internal resistance and lack of resources remain. The combination of technical and soft skills, as well as multidisciplinary approaches that integrate legal, financial and technological expertise, are crucial to the success of forensic audits. Despite the challenges, forensic auditing positively influences corporate culture, fostering a culture of whistleblowing and strengthening internal controls. Investment in advanced technologies and continuous training of forensic auditors are critical to maintain effectiveness in fraud detection. In conclusion, forensic auditing not only detects fraud, but also strengthens corporate governance and ensures the long-term sustainability of organizations.

Advanced Technology Investment, Transfer, Export and Import: Determinants or Predictors of Economic Growth and Inflation Fluctuations?

Investments, scientific patents, export and import of high-tech goods and services stimulate the country’s technological development, contribute to economic growth, job creation, the formation of a qualified workforce, and the maintenance of social living standards of the population. At the same time, the ecosystem supporting technological innovation is largely dependent on macroeconomic stability in the country, inflationary fluctuations, etc. Based on this, the article examines systemic interrelationships between the factors of technological development (export and import of computer, information, telecommunications and other high-tech goods and services, investments in advanced research and technologies, volumes of transfer of rights to new technological developments, as well as general the level of coverage of the population by information technologies and innovativeness of the country) and macroeconomic development (gross domestic and national product, inflation rate). The research was carried out using the method of Principal component analysis, canonical analysis, panel regression modeling on the data of 11 countries with developed economies for 2011 and 2021 (World Bank and WIPO statistical databases). From 14 indicators of technological development, the 8 most relevant ones were selected using the method of Principal component analysis; by means of canonical analysis, it was found that 32.503% (in 2011) and 37.557% (in 2021) of their variation is due to changes in the studied macroeconomic indicators. On the other hand, the change in macroeconomic indicators by 46.497% (in 2011) and 38.739% (in 2021) is caused by the variation of indicators of investment, transfer, export and import of advanced technologies. Thus, macroeconomic dynamics depend much more on technological development, and not vice versa. Based on the conducted panel regression modeling, a statistically significant dependence of the inflation index on the share of the population that is Internet users and the country’s place in the Global Innovation Index was revealed. GDP per capita was found to be dependent on the share of exports of high-tech goods and services, the share of exports of goods in the field of information and communication technologies, the share of the population that are Internet users, the country’s place in the Global Innovation Index. State investments in research and technological development turned out to be dependent on the inflation index, the share of imports of computer, information and other services, the share of exports of goods in the field of information and communication technologies, the share of the population that are Internet users, and the country’s place in the Global Innovation Index.

ACADEMIC LIBRARY MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND PRACTICES IN GHANA: INSIGHTS FROM THE SD DOMBO UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

This study examines the academic library management issues and practices at the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in Ghana. The aim is to provide insights into the current state of library resources, technology infrastructure, and user satisfaction, and identify challenges. The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews, to gather data from library staff, students, and faculty members. The findings reveal that UBIDS has a substantial collection of physical and digital resources, indicating a commitment to providing diverse materials for academic pursuits. The implementation of technology infrastructure, such as computer workstations and internet connectivity, highlights the university's recognition of the importance of digital resources in the academic landscape. However, limited funding emerges as a significant challenge, hindering the acquisition of new materials and investment in advanced technologies. The policy implications include the need for increased funding and support for academic libraries in Ghana. Policymakers should acknowledge the crucial role of libraries in supporting teaching, learning, and research activities and allocate adequate resources. Staff training and development should also be emphasized to enhance library services, including information literacy programs and user support. Collaboration among academic libraries and other stakeholders is recommended to leverage collective resources and improve access to information. This study contributes to the understanding of academic library management in Ghana and offers practical implications for policymakers and library administrators to enhance library services and resources. Addressing the identified challenges and implementing the suggested policy recommendations can promote the development and effectiveness of academic libraries, benefiting the entire academic community in Ghana.

Innovative Design Process for Intelligent Buildings

An intelligent building needs to be designed to meet the needs of initial occupants and be flexible to meet the needs of future occupants. Creating an intelligent building does require an investment in advanced technology, processes, and solutions. An ingenuous investment is required to realize a significant return later on. It is unrealistic to expect to make a project intelligent unless there is early acquisition in on investment. Over, these decisions need to happen prior to the start of design work. One of the challenges is to educate owners on the benefits of an intelligent building design. This makes the education of both owners and architects about the benefits of intelligent solutions significant for success.

Robotics in industrialized construction: an activity-based ranking system for assembly manufacturing tasks

PurposeDespite the proven evidence of ever-growing productivity gains in the manufacturing industry as a result of years of research and investment in advanced technologies, such as robotics, the adoption of robots in construction is still lagging. The existing literature lacks technical frameworks and guidelines that account for the one-of-a-kind nature of construction projects and the myriad of materials and dimensional components in construction activities. This study seeks to address existing technical uncertainty and productivity issues associated with the application of robotics in the assembly-type manufacturing of industrialized construction.Design/methodology/approachTo facilitate the selection of suitable robotic arms for industrialized construction activities, primarily assembly-type manufacturing tasks of offsite production processes, an activity-based ranking system based on axiomatic design principles is proposed. The proposed ranking system utilizes five functional requirements derived from robot characteristics—speed, payload, reach, degrees of freedom and position repeatability—to evaluate robot performance in an industrialized construction task using simulations of a framing station.FindingsBased on design parameters obtained from activity-based simulations, seventy six robotic arms suitable for the framing task were scored and ranked. According to the sensitivity analysis of proposed functional requirements, speed is the key functional requirement that has a notable effect on productivity of a framing station and is thus the determinant in robot performance assessment for framing tasks.Originality/valueThe proposed ranking system is expected to augment automation in construction and serve as a preliminary guideline to help construction professionals in making informed decisions regarding the adoption of robotic arms.

Advanced Technologies and Worker Voice

The interplay between labour institutions and firm‐level adoption of new technologies such as robotics and other advanced digital tools remains poorly understood. Using a cross‐sectional sample of more than 20,000 European establishments, we document a positive association between shop‐floor employee representation (ER) and utilization of emerging technologies. We explore mechanisms driving this correlation by exploiting rich information on the role played by ER in relation to well‐defined decision areas of management, such as work organization, dismissals, training and working time. In addition, we conduct a quantitative case study using a panel of Italian firms and exploiting size‐contingent policy rules governing the operation of ER bodies in the context of a local‐randomization regression discontinuity design. The analysis suggests a positive effect of ER on investments in advanced technologies around the firm size cut‐off, although results are sensitive to type of technology and specification choices. We also document positive effects on training and process innovation, and no evidence of changes in composition of employment. Our findings cast doubt on the idea that ER discourages technology adoption. Rather, ER seems to influence workplace practices that enhance the complementarity between labour and new advanced technologies.

Market Competition, Infrastructure Sharing, and Network Investment in China’s Mobile Telecommunications Industry

The relationship between market competition and network investment in the mobile telecommunications industry has always been one of the focuses for scholars and regulatory agencies. The conclusions of previous studies on this topic remain ambiguous. Infrastructure sharing has become a noticeable trend in the global mobile telecommunications industry, but its impact on operators’ investment and innovation behaviors is controversial. This paper uses fixed effects and dynamic panel data models to empirically examine the relationship among the market competition, infrastructure sharing, and network investment in China’s mobile telecommunications industry. The results show that market competition has a significant positive impact on the total industry network investment, but the interaction of market competition and infrastructure sharing has undermined network investment, which indicates that the competitive strategy of rational operators will shift from facility-based competition to service-based competition when both deep infrastructure sharing and fierce market competition appear at the same time, and this is likely to cause insufficient incentives for investment in advanced technology. This paper suggests that China’s regulators should improve the market structure, enhance market competitiveness continuously, and support infrastructure sharing, but at the same time they should exercise caution when conducting in-depth infrastructure sharing. In addition, they should accelerate the development of 5G vertical industry applications to expand the market space for industry development.

Improving the management of international structures of the United Nations in the field of resource use and innovation investment

The article reveals the causes and consequences of ignoring public opinion, the political situation, the position of science and scientists about the emergence of a large-scale war with Russia by the state leadership of Ukraine. Based on the initial analysis of the revealed contradictions and miscalculations of social and economic development of the state, the reasons of brake processes in development of a society and activation of separatist moods were named. To address them, it is offered to intensify the international community, using the extensive opportunities of the UN in the field of resource use, implementation of new projects and investment in advanced technologies. It is proposed to intensify the activities of scientists in this field by uniting them in a political force, the party entitled “Development of education and science – the intellectual health of the nation and the security of the state”. The problem is considered in both national, regional, sectoral sections, and interstate positions. Also, the interconnections and interrelations of Interstate bodies and public authorities in this sphere of public life were revealed. In the paper it is offered to use the political tools and approaches to determining the role and place of specialized (sectoral) UN structures in the development of social processes and on this basis to ensure peace, stabilization and efficiency of production, intensification of socio-economic development of the state. The article discloses the ways of improving the management and implementation of International and European standards in the field of resource use, innovation and increase in the competitiveness of national economies in general. Keywords: UN, international relations, resource use, universal structures, public association, party, academy, politics, production, responsibility, economy, state, socio-economic development, European standards.

Specialized Venture Capital Funds as a Tool for Supporting Investment in Advanced Technologies

An overview of the most common and proven in world practice types of budgetary support for the venture industry, including the creation of venture capital funds, is carried out. The Russian experience of state support for the venture capital sector is analyzed, and a positive assessment of the work of closed-end mutual investment funds created by RVC in 2007–2009 is given. The principles for the formation of mechanisms for increasing the venture activity of state institutions, particularly state programs for creating venture capital funds, have been formulated. It is shown that the funds of specialized venture funds can become a decisive factor in supporting startups at the expense of budgetary funds and lead to the organization of additional high-tech jobs, equal spatial economic development of the country, and the achievement of other social goals.

‘Global Britain’: implications for UK military strategy and capability

The United Kingdom released its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy in March 2021. The review calls for more British forces to be deployed globally and for longer periods – both within NATO and independently – for capacity-building missions and to actively counter terrorist, hybrid, grey-zone and proxy threats. It also sees the Royal Navy playing an important role in future conflicts and calls for increases in maritime capability and reductions in air- and land-based forces in favour of investments in advanced technology.

Future WARFARE and Artificial Intelligence Applications in the ROK Military: Problems and Alternatives

Purpose: This article explores the most likely impacts of Artificial Intelligence(AI) on the character of future warfare, focuses on how AI will change just about the way we fight in the battlefield, analyzes the current status and problems of AI applications in the ROK military, and then suggests several policy alternatives with regard to future development of the ROK military’s war-fighting capabilities with AI and autonomous systems (i.e., robots). Method: This article uses a literature review method that collects and analyzes data through existing research results or literatures. In order to understand the research trends of AI-driven warfare, professional military papers related to future operational concepts and doctrines are analyzed. In addition, data published by the Army, Navy, and Air Force Headquarters is referenced for the current state and problems of AI application of the ROK military. In particular, the latest data is mainly reflected in order not to miss important issues related to the rapidly changing military application of AI. Results: AI-driven future warfare will have three broad trends, that is, the acceleration of multi-domain battle, the generalization of cognitive-centered operations, and the Acceleration of Human-machine Fusion and increased ambiguity of blurring distinction between combatants and non-combatants. AI applications in the ROK military, however, is somewhat behind advanced countries, and currently stays at the conceptual level and exists mostly on paper. It still does not act to convert AI technology for military use, and not adapt it for operational concepts and acquisition process of weapons systems. For this reason, the ROK military needs to actively pursue various AI technology development strategies that can be used in conducting complex war-fighting within the full spectrum of conflicts. Conclusion: The ROK military needs to discard ineffective legacy weapons systems and prioritize investment in advanced technologies including AI, and streamline its cumbersome weapons acquisition and sustainment process and procedure as a means to win the AI race with other countries. With AI, the ROK military will be ableto create more agile, flexible and lethal war-fighting capabilities in strategic, operational, and tactical dimensions.

Can Market Reforms Curb the Expansion of Industrial Land?—Based on the Panel Data Analysis of Five National-Level Urban Agglomerations

As China entered marketization in the late 1980s, it soon established a market economy system and implemented tax-sharing reforms. Driven by the marketization, local governments have rapidly developed the economy under the pressure of fiscal competition caused by the reform of the tax-sharing system. Industrial land is an important factor of local economic development, and it enables local governments to invest heavily in the industrial sector to promote economic development, leading to urban expansion. In order to shed light on the relationship between the market reforms implemented by the Chinese government and the expansion of urban industrial land, this paper used the data of 77 prefecture-level cities in China’s five national-level urban agglomerations as research samples from 2007 to 2018. We first constructed the marketization rate of industrial land (MIL) and used the panel data model to examine whether China′s market reform will curb the expansion of industrial land. The results showed that: (1) land market reform can restrain the scale of industrial land expansion, and the impact is different in different urban agglomerations; (2) under the effect of marketization, foreign direct investment (FDI) has restrained the expansion of industrial land to a certain extent. The amount of industrial investment (AII), the ratio of secondary industry to GDP structure (RSG), and the number of industrial enterprises (NIE) will aggravate the expansion of industrial land. We suggest that the Chinese government should deepen the reform of land marketization and develop a differentiated land market mechanism. It is also necessary for local governments to develop stock land, improve the efficiency of industrial land use, increase the investment in advanced technology, and improve the intensive utilization of industrial land. The research provides a reference for other countries in the world that are developing in a transitional period to restrain unlimited land expansion and save land resources in the process of economic development.

ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

This article addresses economic security which is an indispensable resource of daily life that enables the individual and the human community to achieve their aspirations. It depends a lot on how effective Moldova's economic relations with the rest of the world are. The state of transition of the Moldovan economy, the need to overcome the crisis urgently requires a substantial increase in economic and political relations with developed countries. The country needs foreign capital and investments in advanced technologies, imports of food and consumer goods. At the same time, the expansion of these relations should not lead to the country's economic dependence and loss of security. Economic security is the state of the economy, which ensures sustainable economic growth, meeting social needs, efficient management, protection of economic interests at national and international level. Economic security includes the system of the following levels: international, national, at the level of individual economic structure and personality.

Influence of Advanced Manufacturing Technology on Management Accounting Practices of Selected Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

Investment in advanced technology in manufacturing sector may involve a huge amount but seems to be cheaper in the long run when compared to intensive use of labour. Unlike human, machine does not need motivation and other incentives to function well. Also, machine has no feelings to react to changes in the organisation. Human being tends to demand more wages when there is increase in the revenue in their organisations. In light of the foregoing, this study set out to specifically examine the influence of advanced technology on performance of firms and the relationship between labour cost and firm’s performance. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significance level that is 95% confidence level. Data was collected from secondary tools, literature on prior work, including studies and survey reports. With EViews 10.0 version, the data collected was analysed using Panel Least Squares regression method. The study examined thirteen (13) industrial goods producers firms listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange from 2010-2018, that is, nine (9) years period. This study concludes that advanced technology has positive and significance effect on performance of manufacturing firms. The study also concludes that use of intensive labour has significant but negative relationship with firm performance. This study recommends that companies’ managers should make adequate provisions for investment in advanced and modern technology when preparing management accounting for the company. The study also recommend that manufacturing firms should invest in advance and modern technology to improve operating efficiency, reduce operating costs and reduce delivery costs.

Managing technology in Macedonian SMEs context: perceptions, practices and challenges

Academicians and policy makers alike state that technology is the catalyst of growth for small medium businesses (SMEs). The review of past research reveals that the strategic upside of technology is the accomplishment of competitive advantage through their business strategies. The effective implementation of advanced technologies enables companies to achieve economies of scale and scope simultaneously. That is, investigating advanced technologies reduces the cost of future product innovation, allowing the company to increase its speed of response to market and competitive changes. Therefore, investment in advanced manufacturing technologies represents a strategic option. Despite the great importance of technology in small sized businesses, not many studies attempted to explore technology embraced by them, especially within the Macedonian context. The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of advanced technology knowledge and usage within the specific SME sector in the Republic of North Macedonia and to discover, if technology is used, whether it is seen as crucial to their competitive strategy. Moreover, the main research question is how advanced technology affects different aspects such as costs, sales and profitability, employee productivity, customer care, share of the e-market and competitiveness. Primary data were obtained through a questionnaire survey, carried out in small and medium sized businesses in the Republic of North Macedonia and evaluated using the tools of descriptive statistics and the methods of comparison, induction, deduction and synthesis. The research results indicate that advanced technology influences favorably the overall costs and also increases profitability. Likewise, the findings show that advanced technology leads to increase of productivity and sales. One of the conclusions of the paper is that small businesses find it important to invest in advanced technology in order to promote competitiveness.

Development of 18 Quality Control Gates for Additive Manufacturing of Error Free Patient-Specific Implants.

Unlike subtractive manufacturing technologies, additive manufacturing (AM) can fabricate complex shapes from the macro to the micro scale, thereby allowing the design of patient-specific implants following a biomimetic approach for the reconstruction of complex bone configurations. Nevertheless, factors such as high design variability and changeable customer needs are re-shaping current medical standards and quality control strategies in this sector. Such factors necessitate the urgent formulation of comprehensive AM quality control procedures. To address this need, this study explored and reported on a variety of aspects related to the production and the quality control of additively manufactured patient-specific implants in three different AM companies. The research goal was to develop an integrated quality control procedure based on the synthesis and the adaptation of the best quality control practices with the three examined companies and/or reported in literature. The study resulted in the development of an integrated quality control procedure consisting of 18 distinct gates based on the best identified industry practices and reported literature such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guideline for AM medical devices and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, to name a few. This integrated quality control procedure for patient-specific implants seeks to prepare the AM industry for the inevitable future tightening in related medical regulations. Moreover, this study revealed some critical success factors for companies developing additively manufactured patient-specific implants, including ongoing research and development (R&D) investment, investment in advanced technologies for controlling quality, and fostering a quality improvement organizational culture.

Resilience of business strategy to emergent and future conditions

Assuring future performance of systems-of-systems through advanced-technology investments is a perpetual challenge of industry and agencies. Among the complicating factors are technology innovation, escalating scales, and diversity of software and hardware applications, increasing availability and scrutiny of big data, and evolving business, environmental, and legal contexts. These factors are engaging system owner/operators to continually reprioritize these investments, even as transparent principles for investment are needed for appropriate oversight and auditing. In this paper, a branch of resilience analysis offers to address multiple layers of uncertainty that arise from technology plans around future disruptions to large-scale systems-of-systems. The paper presents a methodology to quantify and manage the disruptive influence of individual systems perspectives to the prioritization of technology investments across the system-of-systems. The methodology is demonstrated through a case study on an information technology investment portfolio of the US Department of Commerce, USA. The experience suggests how fiscal limitations, combining with several other factors, has the largest disruption to the prioritization of investments. The results furthermore describe how investments perform relative to one another and characterize where the system-of-systems might be resilient to the perspectives of constituent systems. Abbreviations: BEA: Bureau of Economic Analysis; BIS: Bureau of Industry and Security; DOC: United States Department of Commerce; FY: Fiscal Year; IT: Information Technology; MCDA: Multicriteria Decision Analysis; NOAA: National Oceaic and Atmospheric Administration; NTIA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration; USPTO: United States Patent and Trademark Office.